(Overheard in a Fitness Club in Sacramento, California. I am seated on one of 24 Stamina Airgometer Exercise Bike (Google Affiliate Ad) . Music can be heard in the background: Slow to start but fast and intensive toward the end.)
BARRY
And on the same day comes the BBC News report that our Department of Justice - that American Drone strikes against Americans are legal? Our government officials can authorize the killing of Americans abroad if they are members of al-Qaeda or its allies? WOW
PATRICIA
The war crimes of Bush/Cheney/Rummy: continued by Obama/Biden/Hillary.
BEN
Did anyone read the story on the internet about the fifty odd countries involved in renditioning... to torture...
MONICA (Interrupting.)
What a wonderful idea the Geneva Convention was...too bad we don't follow the rules of war anymore, and too bad after breaking those rules we fought so hard to instate, we are not being held accountable. I can imagine the cries from American citizens if... say Iran went into Iraq or Israel and conducted itself in the manner we have in Afghanistan and Iraq... the cries would be so loud for the obliteration of that nation it would be deafening...
HARRY (Interrupting.)
You don't know...
MONICA
Let me finish my thought, PLEASE! ...however when we are responsible for what we are constantly brainwashed into believing only other nations would do, all of a sudden we are left dumbstruck not knowing what to say or do, because somehow we just can't bring ourselves to believe this is the government we have been taught to revere and respect. That America you are dreaming about, like that lost love you wish to recapture after many years...does not exist anymore. We should no longer be under that hypnotic spell...what will it take to help us open our eyes and reclaim our nation and the principles we like to imagine we once had.
MIKE
When you refuse to impeach Bush/Cheney because we invaded Iraq. When you refuse to prosecute neocons who lied to Congress so that they could attack Iraq.
When you don't uphold the laws of the land. When you don't drive discredited offenders out of the halls of power, they return to the public stage,...
JOE (Interrupting.)
Despite the attempt to again hang this all on Bush and undoubtedly make an issue that will divert attention from all of the negatives we are dealing with in this country under the current administration.
THEO
It's too bad that ignorance isn't painful you wont see Bush or Cheney or Rummy vacationing overseas anytime... ever because they tortured...
HARRY (Interrupting.)
Torture? Most of them deserved to be tortured in order for our county to be safe! The Libs keep blaming Bush for everything but you notice who's still implementing many of his policies? If anyone is being tortured it's the U.S. citizens under this pathetic administration!
 |
| NICK ANDERSON:
The Houston Chronicle's editorial cartoonist
http://blog.chron.com/nickanderson/2012/09/drone-strike/ |
And on the same day comes the BBC News report that our Department of Justice - that American Drone strikes against Americans are legal? Our government officials can authorize the killing of Americans abroad if they are members of al-Qaeda or its allies? WOW
PATRICIA
The war crimes of Bush/Cheney/Rummy: continued by Obama/Biden/Hillary.
THEO
Birds of a feather flock together. I just pray that I will still be a live when the whole truth comes out about the Bush years and 911. He hasn't been out of his gated compound since he went there.
MONICA
As Dostoevsky said of such men, "Nothing is easier than cutting off heads, and nothings harder than to have an idea."
HARRY
If Bush asked the host nations to sign a letter saying they won't torture (wink wink), he'd be Obama! Change you can wink about. God bless Dubya, he kept us safe!
PATRICIA
Stalkers are everywhere.
HARRY
Under executive orders issued by Obama, the CIA still has authority to carry out renditions, secret abductions, and transfers of prisoners to countries that cooperate with the United States. Much like the Nazi's of yore. The Obama administration has determined that the rendition program was one component of the Bush administration's war on terrorism that would not be discarded. Obama left intact renditions as a counter-terrorism tool.
JOE
Uh-oh... The German government and the German people are really seriously absolutely not going to like that.
What I'm amazed at is that Bush outsourced it to other countries rather than to Halliburton and other warmongering for-profit corporations. I wouldn't be surprised to find that Bush placed a condition on the outsourcing that the countries had to contract with U. S. corporations as part of the torture. I mean, free market and all.
SCARLET
Wow. They really held onto this until they needed to cover an Obama scandal-- shades of Bill Clinton.
Guess they're trying to trump Obama killing Americans with drones. Didn't work. We Democrats don't forget.
DAVE
Nor should you, but why are people willing to give Bush & Cheney a pass in their eagerness to pillory Obama? Sounds like they've got an agenda aside from justice.
DUNCAN
Where have you been for the past four years?
MONICA
Apparently we don't learn from past history. If anything, the Inquisition taught us that people will tell you anything you want to hear to stop the torture. Not and often not, the truth.
DUNCAN
We all cheer every time a known terrorist is killed. But nobody really wants to know how we found them. If you think we would have found Bin Laden without all of these awful procedures that began prior to Obama's first term, you are sadly mistaken.
BEN
I'll never vote Republican again. Especially after that lyin' bastard Romney! I just hope that three-some and their minions get their due. If not here on Earth, then forever in the afterlife.
DUNCAN
Red Team Torture. Blue Team Drones.
JOE
Bush invaded Iraq based on his faulty intelligence. The rest was oil and political currency in the Middles East. But Congress hamstrung the the military so hard that there was no way that they could have succeeded.
MONICA (To DUNCAN.)
They tortured! Renditioned! What criminals!
HARRY
Fight terror with terror! You can be soft and can't show weakness. I’ll bleed on the American flag to keep the stripes red.
MIKE
Bad when Bush did it. Ok when Obama does it.
GLORIA
911 Was the fault of the U. S., CIA, etc.. They had reports of the perps taking flying lessons but no landing lessons & never followed thru. Also airline people didn't report one way tickets bought by Mid Eastern people & so on. Everybody was asleep at the switch.
PATRICIA
I respectfully disagree, US and CIA new exactly what was happening. The GOP helps those that don't need it!
We knew of things like that early and most people were for it or nobody seemed to care or too scared to speak up. This stuff wasn't a secret but Bush for a long time was a teflon President. He was the leader in the fight of terrorism and anybody that spoke up about it was for the enemy. Wasn't he the "decider"?!
GLORIA
Common Sense is not so Common. Some of you on the right support Rove's experiment that the GOP can create their own reality, ala Romney's campaign, and their base will embrace it hook, line and sinker. They refuse to acknowledge that the Iraq war was one of choice and a bad choice at that... it cost this nation a lot of young lives, billions of dollars that could be used here and will continue to cost for the care of those maimed for life. The right has gone off the reality track and are wrong on virtually every issue confronting our nation today!
HARRY
I am proud of my country everyday. Some more than others. Especially when it comes to killing terrorists or gathering information from terrorists. I'm glad that both parties do whatever it takes to terrorist to keep me and my family safe...if its water boarding? I say, where's the bucket, rope and water? If its electric shock, I say, Where's the plug? They are given more rights than they would give me!
MONICA
We pause now for a brief message from the dark ages.
MIKE
Yeah, HARRY, you would have been a good companion for William Calley in My Lai. Same basic mentality.
DUNCAN
So uncool. He should just drone them, like a gentleman.
GLORIA
Obama is just cleaning the mess Bush left, he just got in to office guys. And the brick walls the Repubs are throwing up, don't help.
MONICA
Football season is over. Republicans gathered in their political graves today to keep TV ratings up, just televise 10 hrs of torture every Sunday. And, of course, 30 commercials every weekday to remind us of the great "Torture Sunday" leading to "Torture Bowl" in February.
KATE
Bush's response to 911 started a reactionary global revolution against American intervention. Obama's perpetuates it and now the results are really showing themselves in Pakistan, Yemen and North Africa. If you like "expensive failures", you should love these two men.
PETE
They kept you safe. Stop whining and just say thank you!
MONICA
Another Kentuckian? When Bush left office he told Oprah that he missed being pampered.
DAVE
Can anyone else remember when we were able to take pride in our country?
MONICA
I'm pretty sure that was before I was born. And this ... tomorrow ... shall pass. Maybe you would prefer North Korea or China?
THEO
In other news today: Obama Justice Department "Memo: Government can kill Americans with no plans to attack U. S. But it's cool because those who do plan to attack U.S. won't be water-boarded so that co-conspirators can be stopped.
MITCH
Loud, Proud and Country by the grace of God. It's so much more legitimate now that we can send drones to kill American citizens in other countries. How long will it be before they send a drone after you GLORIA?
GLORIA
Another foreign country heard. Kentuck? You even look like a Kentucky toad. Ignorance and inbreeding costs more than an education. Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld! The gruesome three-some. The world, in its gratitude awarded Obama The Nobel Peace Prize just in gratitude that those three wouldn't be running things anymore.
HARRY
Thanks to these policies, there have been no terrorist attacks in the US since 9/11. I'd like to thank President Bush and Vice President Cheney for doing what needed to be done. We torture because it works and has always worked. Very few people are trained to resist and even fewer among those actually can resist. May our enemies writhe in agony for daring to cause us harm.
DUNCAN
What do you think about finally realizing that our federal government is actually "the evil empire" all the Middle Eastern nations accuse us of being?
THEO
Pay no attention to the decision to allow drone strikes against United States citizens! Look at the old WORLD torture methods! The rack. The screws!
MIKE
Team New World Order back in the headlines. How refreshing? I would rather have a stick in my eye.
HARRY
Now you know how we Republicans feel living under the Obama regime.
SARAH
Read the book "Shock Doctrine" by Naomi Klein. She does an excellent job of documenting the process of installing policies that increase governmental suspension of rights and corporate agendas while a nation is in a state of shock.
GLORIA
Anger is fear turned inward. Many in this nation don't need to be in a state of shock to fall for the bullpucky that is shoveled day in and day out.
HARRY
And Obama gets to kill Americans with drones. No trial. No court order. No questions asked policy. Which is worse? Drones or rendition?
GLORIA
I am pleased that these hideous programs have finally hit the light of day for public purview.
PAMELA
"The United States does not torture prisoners", is an incredibly misleading statement, in light of renditions and drones.
HARRY
Obama has a new policy: Take no prisoners! Much more effective, eh? That will should make you happier!
OLIVER
Do you live in such a fantasy world to think this doesn't happen? Secret interrogations started long before Bush, and are still carried on with Obama...
BEN
ALERT! ALERT! B/S Detector! Bush supplied whatever was in that vial Powell held up in front of the UN. Saddam Hussein had trained al Qaeda in biological and chemical warfare. Bush later invaded Iraq in part based on his faulty intelligence. Our leaders lied us into that war, plain and simple. Same as Netanyahu is doing right now with Iran.
GLORIA
Children, children.... think before you speak! There are pictures of men in orange jump-suits with black bags over their heads. If they were Americans in Syria or Libya we would be up in arms. Why do we just accept it because they are not Americans?
HARRY
"They hate us for our freedom."
MONICA
What a joke. I'm finished. I'm going home to my loving husband and my kids.
GLORIA
No, they hate us for our hypocrisy, for our narcissistic, self-centered and hypocritical foreign policy that acknowledges the rights of some, but not of all, peoples.
PATRICIA
The Iranians hate us for overthrowing their democratically elected government in the 1950s and putting in place the Shah whose brutal regime killed off hope of democracy and human rights all because the U.S. and Britain didn't want Iranians to own their own oil fields. Sorry, but BP's right to profit trumps all else, as we most recently experienced in the Gulf. I'm outta' here, too, Monica.
DAVE
The Egyptians hate us for propping up a dictator who refused his people basic rights like freedom of speech and whose security forces freely tortured/killed political detainees.
HARRY
It goes on and on and on. They will continue hating us as long as we, yes that's we, as in all of us, allow our government to do these things.
SCARLET
The GOP, according to our new ruler, Grover Norquist, is going to reduce government to a size that can be drowned in a bathtub, but happily spend money and government resources on rendition which violates basic premises on which this country was founded. It's absolutely maddening.
(The music stops.)
(END)
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